| Show GO INTO POLITICS Mr Thomas C Platts Advice to Young Men A YOUNG HAN MOVEMENT A Duty They Owe to Themselves and Their Country Tho Machine Voters i New York City NEW YonK July 3 1S90 Special correspondence cor-respondence of THE HERALD Every young man should take an interest in politics tics He should make a study of economJo questions and familiarize himself with the principles that underlie the two great political poli-tical parties I is a duty he owes to himself him-self and to his country Under ou Republican Repub-lican form of government the ofiioeholders are merely the servants of tho people But i the people neglect their duty what can we expect from their servants 2 Does it not follow that a failure on the part of tho sovereign sov-ereign people to watch and guard their interests in-terests will result in deteriorating the public pub-lic service No successful business man would think of intrusting his business entirely en-tirely to his employees The moment he adopted such a policy he would cease to be a success The ordinary principles of business should be applied to politics All the evils growing out of our political system can bo traced to a failure on the part of the people TO do their duty There would have been no Tweed ring but for thetilmost criminal carelessness indifference and neglect of the intelligent voters To the same Indiffer cacti we are indebted for the present domination I domin-ation of Tammany in this city New York city contains a large mass of machino voters men who have neither the independence nor the inclination to favor a clean honest government They follow the Tammany organization blindly whither it listcth and never ask any questions I seriously doubt if Tammany should renom inate the present mayor whether there would be any material diminution of this i machine vote Certain it is that there I would be no cutting of the candidate among the rank and file on moral grounds The I THOMAS C PLATT supremacy of Tammany in city and state can but be regarded as a national disgrace There has never been a time in the history of the metropolis when it was not possible for the united elements of opposition to carry this city They now have it in their power to demolish and overthrow the corrupt cor-rupt Tammany ring Past experience has shown however that a large percentage of the conservative people do not interest themselves in the i practical business of politics as they ought 5 IVrhaps the very men who complain tho I loudest against the dominations of Tammany Tam-many and corruption in high iplaccs do not exercise the election franchise more than half the time and rarely if ever attend a primary Take for instance the example of the Twenty first assemoly district which is in some respects the representative representa-tive Republican district in this city out of the 3000 or 4000 Republican voters who arc registered in that district not more than 1200 hayc taken the trouble to identify themselves with the Republican organization organiza-tion In other words the work of selecting party leaders and nominating candidates is left to a very small minority of tho party 1 have no patience with the stay at homes who rail at the selection of unlit men but Co nothing to remedy the evils The importance of aoungman commencing commenc-ing early to take an act epartin politics is obvious Men are largely creatures of habit Let the habit once be formed of ignoring their political duty and the chances are that it will stick to them through life but if on the othei hand they start right by identifying themselves with some political organization they will become good and useful citizens My advice to all young men is take up the study of politics as early as possible and familiarize yourself with all important public pub-lic questions Do notstop there Make up your mind to which party your convictions lead you and then do all you can to strengthen the hands of that organization 1 should not advise any man to join the Democratic or Republican parties simply because he had been reared in that particular particu-lar faith Let him decide the question of his political manhood for himself Traditions Tradi-tions are all very well but every man is surer of himself who makes his own independent J inde-pendent investigation and forms his own opinions Naturally as a Republican from conviction convic-tion I believe that a careful study of the political conditions of the day by an intelli cent man will lead him directly into tho ranks of the Republican party but I recognize N recog-nize the right of intelligent men to honestly J differ on political well a other questions In short I do not hesitate to say that an honest and sincere Democrat from conviction convic-tion who labors in his partys vineyard is n better citizen and I greater credit to tho country than the wearisome individual who finds politics a bore and never has time to attend primaries or perform any of the other ship solemn political obligations of citizen shipI a law could be passed compelling everyone every-one to give a part of his time to the consideration consid-eration of political matters or at least to exercise his privilege of franchise wo should have a better and more efficient I bcttCland uore e1ccnt government gov-ernment of our local affairs as well u in the state and nation The young men are the main reliance of the country Upon their shoulders rests the responsibility for the maintenance of our Republican form of government About the strongest argument that can be advanced in a candidates favor before apolitical a-political convention is that he is popular ivitk the young len Just why this is so is not difficult of solution The young men are more active and enthusiastic than the old stagers The saying Young men for action old men for counsel I is true in politics pol-itics but no parlr can hope to succeed in the future without the support of the youug men Tae young men and when I say young I do not mean necessarily a youth just emerg ingfrom his teens but men in tho prime of life will continue to occupy a prominent place in our oplitics The tendency vlll bo to increase his importance rather than diminish dim-inish it This element will probably decide the next Presidential contest During the last few years there has been a gratifying indication that the young men of the country are beginning to appreciate their political responsibilities and importance import-ance more keenly The formation of young mens clubs in both parties all over the country is very healthy sign These clubs should be increased in numbers and their membership doubled Every man under the age of fifty should become personally identified with a political organization t 4 1 = 0 L I The study of politics is the most neglected j branch of a young Americans education I I hope to see the time when it will be the exception to find a young man who does not take an active interest in the political affairs of the country When that time comes we shall have less scandals in public office and I better and cleaner administration of the j government in all its branches from the top to the bottom This is an excellent time for the young I men of the country to organize and equip themselves for the next great political battle I bat-tle I promises to be as exciting and as hotly contested as any in the history of the country The party that can command the support of the live men will surely win I Every politician recognizes that fact I I the campaign be conducted on the same lines as in 1883 the odds will be in favor of the Republicans II Republcans Years ago it used to be the policy of polit ical leaders to keep the young men in the i background That was a serious mistake The Republican party toda5at leastoffers a good field for the ambitious young man Let him forge to the front The man who neglects his political obligations gations is not a good citizen in the highest sensa of the word Where can we look for any substantial change from the present unsatisfactory conditions except through the young element They are the ones to take up the work of genuine practical political polit-ical reform I do not advise anyone to join the sentimental school of the apostles of I hypocritcl reform Those deluded creatures creat-ures are of no benefit to themselves nor tho rest of mankind They only serve to make the word reform re-form ridiculous in the eyes of sensible people The reform that is not susceptible of a practical business demonstration is of little value The great need of the hour is to enlist more active and energetic men in the ranks of party workers I should be made impossible for a dishonest or unclean man to secure a nomination for any office or an election in the event of his nomination nomina-tion tionA A great change is going on in the public mind The people are getting into a mood to administer stinging rebuke to the sham reformers and humbugs of tho day My only regrat is that they have not moved sooner I the young men will only join hands they can render the rebuke so overwhelming over-whelming that it will be an object lesson to many future generations THOMAS C PLAT |
